Author communities don’t form by accident. They are built through intentional structures, consistent touch points, and a shared sense of purpose. For hybrid publisher Page Two, community-building is woven into every stage of the author journey, from monthly webinars and curated networking opportunities to in-person salon events that bring thought leaders together across genres. In this Q&A, Page Two marketing and communications specialist Tessa Eisenberg shares how the team cultivates meaningful author-to-author connection, why it matters, and what smaller publishers can do to foster a community of their own.

How does Page Two approach cultivating a sense of community among its authors?

Page Two prioritizes any opportunity to bring our authors together and to help initiate introductions that may prove useful to the names on our list. We offer monthly webinars, featuring prominent Page Two partners like Cedar & Sage Media, Serif, brandiD, and many others, to provide opportunities for group learning and connection, focusing on topics like how to land a TEDx Talk, how to amass social proof and credibility as an author, and how to give the best on-screen interview.

In each session, authors are invited to sit and learn together on a virtual call, and we encourage group discussion at every available opportunity. We celebrate Page Two author achievements in our bimonthly author newsletters, highlighting recent launch events and publishing wins, and encourage authors to keep the conversations going in our Page Two LinkedIn group. Over on social media, we take every opportunity to amplify the messaging of authors with news to share, be it a local bookstore signing or a virtual panel, and our team members love to celebrate with our authors in person whenever possible.

In the past year, Page Two has also begun hosting our own Author Salon events in select cities where we already have an established community heartbeat. We have already hosted groups of authors in New York City and Toronto for an evening of curiosity and connection, and we intend to continue to provide annual opportunities for authors to meet and trade stories in person. 

What do you find are the biggest benefits—for both the authors and the publishing team—of investing in that community?

When subject matter experts choose to publish a book with Page Two, they are choosing to invest in their future growth. It is always our priority to make sure that we are helping authors to see beyond the book itself. How will this professional development change the landscape of their career, looking five, 10, 20 years into the future? The greatest advantage that we can provide to thought leaders turned authors is access to this professional author community. We intimately understand that our authors are stronger together, and our team prioritizes any opportunity to bring these influential leaders together, in one common space (both virtually and in person), as often as possible to trade ideas, discuss launch event strategies, and to work together to solve their readers' greatest problems.

For our author community, they benefit from the wealth of knowledge that this collective group has gathered over many years of trial and error within the hybrid publishing landscape. The growth and success and ongoing education of the collective is the best professional support that we can offer to each individual author that joins our community. 

For Page Two, the greatest takeaway is the formation of a self-actualized community of true subject matter experts who will help us connect with thought leaders who are similarly aiming to change the conversations in their field. Most of our referrals come to us by way of word of mouth, and we are able to count on this community to spread the good word of Page Two. 

What’s an example of authors supporting one another that really stands out to you? 

Page Two co-founder and CO-CEO, Jesse Finkelstein, said it best when reflecting on the most recent Toronto Author Salon event. On the evening of October 28, our team celebrated in person with over 65 authors from across the United States, and Jesse later referred to this as a “true career highlight,” witnessing for herself how this community has taken on a life of its own. It was an utter joy to watch authors join together, crossing state lines and book genres for the opportunity to get to know someone new in a lasting way, both professionally and personally.

One third of the authors in attendance traveled to Toronto from hometowns spanning across Canada and the US, and it is clear that this fleet of Page Two authors understands the value of each other. They can identify the value of these opportunities to meet up, and additionally, they are curious enough about the others who hold the coveted title of “Page Two Author” and what that title represents to hop on a plane for an evening to start building something new.

Perhaps in this post-pandemic world, more than ever, part of the appeal of being an author is in the community that inevitably surrounds you. At least that is the experience that you can expect as a Page Two author, and watching this community take off and the guest lists continue to grow, it is a sign that we are moving in the right direction. Furthermore, since so many Page Two authors are already acquainted, it is such a joy as a small hybrid publisher to witness the outpouring of love that follows each event in love notes published on LinkedIn about the successful launch of “this new author that you need to know about.” Our community understands the group advantage of supporting one another, and it is an important part of being a Page Two author that you will show up and you will speak up. 

For smaller presses or solo publishers, what are some low-lift ways to start building community?

Create a home online for your author community to grow. This may be a dedicated LinkedIn group or an interactive platform like Mighty Networks, but train your community to lean on one another early on in their publishing journey. They are each other’s greatest assets, and it is no secret that it takes a village to usher a book into the world. Authors need community, so give them a clear place to go where their voices can be heard and their questions can be answered.

Also, embrace meet and greets whenever possible. Authors want to feel prioritized by their publishing partner, and any efforts that you make as a publisher to create intimate occasions for authors to connect are going to help that community to feel cared for, nurtured, and well supported. Prioritizing these kinds of gatherings is in line with Page Two’s priority to think beyond the book, leaning into areas of professional growth that stand to open new doors for the members of this hand-selected network of experts. 

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